University Southern California Trojans
No. 5 Trojans Travel to Washington
June 21, 1999 | Women's Swimming & Diving
February 23, 1999
LOS ANGELES - The USC women's swimming and diving team (6-2 overall, 3-2 in the Pacific-10 Conference), the fifth-place finisher at the NCAA Championships a year ago and currently ranked No. 5, travels to Federal Way, Wash., this week to take part in the 1999 Pacific-10 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. The meet will take place Thursday through Saturday (Feb. 25-27) at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center. Preliminary events begin each day at 11 a.m. and finals begin at 6 p.m. each evening. The Pac-10 men's diving championships will also take place at the same facility during the same time span.
TELEVISION COVERAGE - The 1999 Pacific-10 Conference Women's Swimming Championships will be broadcast by FOX Sports Net on a tape-delay basis on March 4 at 1 p.m.
LAST YEAR AT PAC-10s - USC finished second at the 1998 Pac-10 Championships with 1210.5 points, finishing behind first-place Stanford (1405.5). The Women of Troy's only Pac-10 titles came in the diving arena as D-rte Lindner won both the 1- and 3-meter springboard events with scores of 420.45 and 540.15, respectively. Jean Ellis Todisco and Lindsay Benko posted second-place finishes in the 400 IM, and 200 back, respectively, to highlight USC's effort.
USC SUPERLATIVES - USC Coach Mark Schubert has built a women's team that is dotted with national and international-caliber swimmers, many of whom will be competing for either the U.S. or their respective countries following the conclusion of the collegiate season. Senior All-American Lindsay Benko will compete for the U.S. at the Pan Pacific Championships, senior All-American Karen Campbell will compete at the Pan Am Games, senior All-American diver Dorte Lindner will compete at the Diving World Cup and sophomore All-American Corrie Murphy will compete at the World University Games.
OLYMPIC ACHIEVEMENT - USC Coach Mark Schubert, in his seventh year at Troy, will serve as the head coach for the U.S. men's team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. It is his sixth consecutive USA Olympic coaching position. (Schubert's wife, Joke, will be the head manager for the U.S. contingent in Australia, as well.) Schubert was an assistant coach at the 1996 Atlanta Games. He served as the 1992 USA women's Olympic head coach, guiding the American women to two gold medal relay world records, four additional American records and an impressive world- leading 14 medals, including five gold. In January of 1998, he served as assistant coach for the U.S. women's team at the World Championships in Perth, Australia.
LINDSAY BENKO - One of the top middle-distance freestylers in the country and a national-caliber backstroker, 1998-99 co-captain Lindsay Benko is having a fine senior season. Despite nursing a back injury that kept her out of the Stanford and California meets, she still owns USC's top times this year in the 200, 500 and 1000 freestyles. Her time of 9:40.63 at UC Santa Barbara in the 1000 free is the top time in the nation this year and broke a 15-year old USC record (Carol Peterson, 9:42.80). Her time of 4:45.85 in the 500 free is an NCAA automatic qualifying time. Benko has won three Pac-10 titles in her USC career, taking the 200 free as a sophomore and the 500 free and 200 back as a freshman. Benko is a four-time NCAA titlist (winning the 200 back and 500 free as a freshman and a sophomore), a 15- time All-American and she owns eight individual and six relay records at USC. A U.S. National team member, she will compete at the Pan Pacific Championships in August, 1999.
KAREN CAMPBELL - A 1998-99 senior co-captain, All-American Karen Campbell is one of the top sprint butterflyers in the nation as well as a talented freestyler with the potential to final in more than one event at the Pac-10s and NCAAs. She currently owns USC's top times in the 50 free (23.19, NCAA consideration) as well as in the 100 and 200 fly. At Stanford on Jan. 30, Campbell posted a deGuerre pool record in the 100 fly with an NCAA automatic time of 53.54. Campbell's mark was better than her top time of last year, 53.68, which was good enough for fourth place at the 1998 NCAAs. Campbell has also posted an NCAA automatic time in the 200 fly (1:58.59). Campbell, who took fourth in the 100 fly at the Pac-10s last year, is an eight-time All-American and owns four USC individual and three relay records. Campbell will swim for the U.S. at the Pan Am Games in August of 1999.
DORTE LINDNER - One of the top divers in Europe, let alone college, 1998-99 senior Dorte Lindner will vie for All- American honors in all three diving specialties. She is a four-time All-American, finalling in both the 1- and 3-meter events at the NCAA Championships as a sophomore and junior the last two years. She's also the defending Pac-10 champion in the above two specialties, earning Pac-10 Female Diver of the Meet honors last season. She will compete for Germany in the Diving World Cup in 1999.
CORRIE MURPHY - One of the most versatile swimmers in the nation, 1998-99 sophomore Corrie Murphy is coming off of an All-American campaign and will look to establish herself as a mainstay in USC's corps of NCAA finalists in the back, IM and free events. Murphy currently has USC's top time in the 400 IM (4:15.86, NCAA automatic) and her time of 2:03.57 in the 200 IM is an NCAA consideration time, as is her time of 2:00.76 in the 200 back. She was a two- time All-American last year, finalling in both the 400 IM and 200 back. At the 1998 Pac-10s, Murphy finalled in both the 400 IM and the 200 back. She will compete for the U.S. at the World University Games in July of 1999.
KRISTIN MacGREGOR - One of the top prep breaststrokers in the nation last year, 1998-99 freshman Kristin MacGregor has lent immediate help in the breast and IM events (as well as in the relays) and has NCAA finalist potential. She has posted the top USC times this year in the 200 IM (2:03.06, NCAA consideration), 100 breast (1:01.92 - an NCAA automatic time) and the 200 breast (2:14.96, NCAA consideration). She is also a vital member of USC's relays. At the 1998 FINA World Cup meet at Texas A&M on Dec. 1-2, MacGregor won both the 50m (31.92) and 100m breast (1:08.75). She competed at the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships and is a regular finalist at U.S. National meets.
NEWCOMERS - In addition to Kristin MacGregor, USC has a host of other newcomers contributing immediately to the program. Freshman Katie Meyer has established herself as one of USC's finest backstrokers and currently has the top time in the 200 back (1:59.91) and the second fastest in the 100 back (55.85). Both are NCAA consideration times. She is also one of USC's top butterflyers with an NCAA consideration time in the 200 (2:01.44). Senior transfer Nora Zhong (she transferred from Alabama) is an experienced swimmer who has posted NCAA consideration times in both fly events (54.78 in the 100 and 2:00.62 in the 200) and is also a talented freestyler. Freshman Amy Migawa, a versatile swimmer, is also coming on strong and has posted NCAA consideration times in the 400 IM (4:24.69) and 1650 free (16:44.60). Freshman diver Kellie Brennan has been strong as well and recently posted a victory in the 3-meter competition at California.
OTHERS TO WATCH - Junior Paige Francis, an All-American as a freshman, is coming on strong and posted USC's top time in the 100 back against UCLA on Feb. 13 in 55.70, an NCAA consideration time. She also posted a consideration time in the 200 back (2:01.61). Sophomore Liah Kim is another talented veteran who swam an NCAA consideration time of 4:24.76 in the 400 IM. A contributor at the NCAA level her first two years at Troy, junior Emily Ayers is one of USC's top butterflyers and has posted an NCAA consideration time in the 200 fly (2:02.04).
MEN'S DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS - USC sophomore All-American Justin Dumais heads the Trojans' diving contingent that will compete this week in Washington. Dumais is one of the top college divers in the nation and could challenge for NCAA titles in both springboard events. Last year at the Pac-10 Championships, Dumais swept all three diving specialties, posting conference records in the 1-meter (576.0) and the 3-meter (611.45). He earned Pac-10 Male Diver of the Year for his efforts. Freshman diver James Wells is also competing well, as is junior Shawn Schuessler, and both have added more scoring potential to the diving corps.
